HC Deb 10 April 1987 vol 114 cc488-95W

Mr. Arnold asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list, in numerical order, the 10 regional health authorities which have achieved the greatest percentage reduction in (a) general in-patient waiting lists and (b) general in-patient waiting lists over the last 10 years.

Mr. Newton

The available information is given in the table.

Health authority Numbers of patients on in-patient waiting list In-patient cases treated
September 1976 September 1986 Change between 1976 and 1986 Change between 1975 and 1985
Number Percentage Number Percentage
SHA's1 7,469 8,054 585 7.8 10,964 13.7
England 588,264 681,901 93,637 15.9 1,378,062 27.7
1Figures for 1976 are not strictly comparable with those for 1986 because of NHS restructuring in 1982.

Mr. Alton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons on the hospital waiting list in Merseyside have been waiting for (a) more than six months, (b) more than a year and (c) more than two years; and if he will give comparable figures for each year since and including 1979.

Mr. Newton

I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member all the information he seeks. The information available centrally is given in the table.

Number of persons on in-patient waiting list as at 30 September, Merseyside District Health Authorities1
Number of non-urgent cases on waiting list for more than a year
Year Number
1979 6,552
1980 5,916
1981 5,446
1982 6,108
1983 5,735
1984 4,269
1985 3,362
1986 3,592
1 Liverpool DHA, St. Helens and Knowsley DHA, Southport and Formby DHA, South Sefton DHA and Wirral DHA.

Mr. Heddle

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire on 19 December 1986, Official Report, column 787, if he will now make a further statement regarding the pilot scheme operated by the West Midlands regional health authority on computerised hospital waiting lists.

Number of cases on in-patient waiting list with national ranking by percentage change—NHS hospitals
Change September 1982 to March 1986
District/Special health authority September 1982 March 1986 Number Percentage
Milton Keynes1 6 2,121 2,115 35,250.0
Malton 7 319 312 4,457.1
Islington 1,098 2,410 1,312 119.5
West Essex 2,555 5,012 2,457 96.2
Huntington 471 840 369 78.3
Hounslow and Spelthorne 3,127 5,173 2,046 65.4
Airedale 1,686 2,649 963 57.1
Lewisham and North Southwark 5,335 8,243 2,908 54.5
Dartford and Gravesham 2,916 4,414 1,498 51.4
The Hospitals for Sick Children 1,456 2,197 741 50.9
Bromsgrove and Redditch 1,475 2,219 744 50.4
Bloomsbury 9,632 14,405 4,773 49.6
Ealing 1,489 2,219 730 49.0
Barking, Havering and Brentwood 4,474 6,640 2,166 48.4
Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton 2,313 3,325 1,012 43.8
Harrogate 1,274 1,799 525 41.2
West Berkshire 3,256 4,593 1,337 41.1
Isle of Wight 1,349 1,854 505 37.4
Bexley 1,123 1,532 409 36.4
Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals 128 173 45 35.2
South West Surrey 2,385 3,210 825 34.6
Waltham Forest 3,271 4,341 1,070 32.7
City and Hackney 4,586 6,071 1,485 32.4

Mr. Newton

The project is progressing. Selected groups of general practitioners are receiving monthly bulletins on waiting times for general surgery in the Region. Their referrals will be analysed to see whether information in this form affects decisions made about where best to refer patients. Groups of patients are being identified from amongst those referred by the selected general practitioners and they will be interviewed at various stages about their waiting experiences.

Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the numbers waiting for (a) hip joint and (b) knee joint operations.

Mr. Newton

I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member the information he seeks. Waiting list information is held centrally by consultant department and not according to intended method of treatment.

Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each health authority the percentage rise or fall in the total hospital waiting list between September 1982 and March 1986, ordered so that the health authority with the biggest increase is first and that with the biggest decrease is last, giving the numbers waiting in each health authority at those two points.

Mr. Newton

[pursuant to his reply, 19 January 1987, c. 431–32]: The information requested is given in the table.

Change September 1982 to March 1986
District/Special health authority September 1982 March 1986 Number Percentage
West Suffolk 2,027 2,641 614 30.3
Worcester and District 2,651 3,449 798 30.1
Rochdale 2,342 3,033 691 29.5
North West Surrey 2,315 2,989 674 29.1
West Surrey and North East Hampshire 3,708 4,760 1,052 28.4
East Surrey 1,257 1,601 344 27.4
Hillingdon 6,009 7,648 1,639 27.3
North East Essex 3,510 4,413 903 25.7
Cheltenham 1,782 2,189 407 22.8
Kidderminster and District 1,070 1,298 228 21.3
East Dorset 4,361 5,290 929 21.3
Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's 2,167 2,617 450 20.8
South Cumbria 1,152 1,357 205 17.8
Lancaster 1,784 2,100 316 17.7
St. Helens and Knowsley 3,288 3,868 580 17.6
Chorley and South Ribble 651 764 113 17.4
South East Staffordshire 2,026 2,374 348 17.2
Trafford 1,301 1,522 221 17.0
Herefordshire 2,272 2,656 384 16.9
Brent 1,737 2,010 273 15.7
Barnet 3,628 4,186 558 15.4
The National Heart and Chest Hospital 1,073 1,231 158 14.7
West Norfolk and Wisbech 1,688 1,926 238 14.1
Tower Hamlets 6,003 6,808 805 13.4
West Dorset 2,015 2,264 249 12.4
Greenwich 2,362 2,632 270 11.4
Wolverhampton 3,677 4,094 417 11.3
Bristol and Weston 7,142 7,944 802 11.2
Mid Essex 3,246 3,610 364 11.2
Leiestershire 7,177 7,962 785 10.9
Canterbury and Thanet 4,136 4,588 452 10.9
Paddington and North Kensington 2,813 3,111 298 10.6
Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde 4,117 4,524 407 9.9
Rotherham 3,871 4,213 342 8.8
Swindon 2,825 3,063 238 8.4
Mid Surrey 2,150 2,327 177 8.2
Stockport 4,430 4,713 283 6.4
Exeter 4,436 4,719 283 6.4
West Lambeth 6,038 6,405 367 6.1
South Birmingham 6,878 7,291 413 6.0
South Warwickshire 3,194 3,366 172 5.4
Eastbourne 2,552 2,685 133 5.2
Hampstead 1,979 2,073 94 4.7
Southern Derbyshire 6,322 6,507 185 2.9
Basildon and Thurrock 5,888 6,044 156 2.6
North Staffordshire 8,862 9,023 161 1.8
Leeds Western 4,330 4,397 67 15
Central Manchester 5,358 5,436 78 1.5
Winchester 2,309 2,341 32 1.4
Brighton 3,863 3,915 52 1.3
Hastings 2,547 2,530 -17 -0. 7
York 2,710 2,689 -21 -0.8
Moorfields Eye Hospital 1,458 1,446 -12 -0.8
East Suffolk 3,097 3,071 -26 -0.8
Somerset 4,949 4,904 -45 -0.9
Maidstone 2,190 2,157 -33 -1.5
South West Hertfordshire 1,986 1,956 -30 -1.5
Bromley 1,931 1,900 -31 -1.6
Northumberland 1,896 1,861 -35 -1.8
Kettering 2,848 2,790 -58 -2.0
Southend 3,248 3,177 -71 -2.2
Redbridge 1,719 1,673 -46 -2.7
Liverpool 8,553 8,321 -232 -2.7
Basingstoke and North Hampshire 3,698 3,589 -109 -2.9
Riverside 5,888 5,696 -192 -3.3
Bradford 6,663 6,411 -252 -3.8
Enfield 3,068 2,915 -153 -5.0
The National Hospitals for Nervous Diseases 441 417 -24 -5.4
North Warwickshire 1,944 1,833 -111 -5.7
Salisbury 4,770 4,489 -281 -5.9
Hull 7,050 6,627 -423 -6.0
Southampton and South West Hampshire 9,080 8,492 -588 -6.5
Wigan 4,677 4,355 -322 -6.9
Worthing 3,756 3,455 -301 -8.0
Leeds Eastern 6,169 5,663 -506 -8.2

Change September 1982 to March 1986
District/Special health authority September 1982 March 1986 Number Percentage
North Hertfordshire 3,155 2,895 -260 -8.2
Crewe 5,128 4,695 -433 -8.4
Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 6,831 6,247 -584 -8.5
South Bedfordshire 2,382 2,177 -205 -8.6
Shropshire 8,441 7,696 -745 -8.8
Wycombe 1,134 1,033 -101 -8.9
East Cumbria 3,323 3,018 -305 -9.2
East Berkshire 8,244 7,470 -774 -9.4
Plymouth 5,897 5,281 -616 -10.4
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 5,238 4,689 -549 -10.5
Preston 5,287 4,725 -562 -10.6
South Lincolnshire 4,428 3,948 -480 -10.8
Warrington 3,037 2,672 -365 -12.0
Gloucester 4,959 4,346 -613 -12.4
North Devon 1,558 1,358 -200 -12.8
Chichester 2,786 2,420 -366 -13.1
Oldham 5,071 4,381 -690 -13.6
Solihull 2,278 1,967 -311 -13.7
Walsall 3,324 2,856 -468 -14.1
Peterborough 3,770 3,239 -531 -14.1
Harrow 1,370 1,176 -194 -14.2
Mid Downs 2,621 2,233 -388 -14.8
Merton and Sutton 3,639 3,098 -541 -14.9
North Bedfordshire 2,657 2,255 -402 -15.1
Pontefract 2,569 2,179 -390 -15.2
Calderdale 1,166 986 -180 -15.4
Bolton 3,348 2,828 -520 -15.5
Great Yarmouth and Waveney 4,194 3,524 -670 -16.0
Southport and Formby 1,373 1,145 -228 -16.6
North Birmingham 2,723 2,267 -456 -16.7
Oxfordshire 7,003 5,792 -1,211 -17.3
Wandsworth 3,239 2,649 -590 -18.2
West Lancashire 2,433 1,984 -449 -18.5
Huddersfield 3,308 2,697 -611 -18.5
West Birmingham 4,269 3,479 -790 -18.5
Sandwell 1,721 1,399 -322 -18.7
Sheffield 14,678 11,903 -2,775 -18.9
Kingston and Esher 3,194 2,576 -618 -19.3
Sunderland 4,889 3,890 -999 -20.4
Tunbridge Wells 6,220 4,949 -1,271 -20.4
Camberwell 3,388 2,681 -707 -20.9
East Hertfordshire 1,847 1,456 -391 -21.2
Dudley 5,441 4,244 -1,197 -22.0
Cambridge 6,708 5,196 -1,512 -22.5
Salford 5,371 4,156 -1,215 -22.6
North Lincolnshire 4,129 3,158 -971 -23.5
Hartlepool 1,841 1,405 -436 -23.7
Northampton 6,793 5,164 -1,629 -24.0
Croydon 3,093 2,350 -743 -24.0
Central Nottinghamshire 7,154 5,425 -1,729 -24.2
Doncaster 6,132 4,641 -1,491 -24.3
Torbay 2,368 1,781 -587 -24.8
Bury 979 735 -244 -24.9
North Derbyshire 3,511 2,633 -878 -25.0
Newcastle 11,524 8,632 -2,892 -25.1
Southmead 2,958 2,214 -744 -25.2
Nottingham 10,988 8,215 -2,773 -25.2
South Manchester 8,120 6,012 -2,108 -26.0
Scarborough 2,200 1,611 -589 -26.8
East Birmingham 4,600 3,367 -1,233 -26.8
West Cumbria 1,870 1,349 -521 -27.9
Haringey 1,708 1,225 -483 -28.3
Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale 3,542 2,540 -1,002 -28.3
Wakefield 3,216 2,269 -947 -29.4
Darlington 3,140 2,214 -926 -29.5
North Tyneside 1,721 1,207 -514 -29.9
Central Birmingham 7,635 5,346 -2,289 -30.0
Mid Staffordshire 2,440 1,706 -734 -30.1
Coventry 8,759 6,091 -2,668 -30.5
Gateshead 1,661 1,155 -506 -30.5
North West Hertfordshire 2,697 1,848 -849 -31.5
Bassetlaw 1,185 809 -376 31.7
Bath 8,079 5,449 -2,630 -32.6
South East Kent 3,946 2,658 -1,288 -32.6
Northallerton 623 419 -204 -32.7

Change September 1982 to March 1986
District/Special health authority September 1982 March 1986 Number Percentage
Wirral 4,714 3,138 -1,576 -33.4
South Tyneside 1,047 682 -365 -34.9
Medway 3,273 2,105 -1,168 -35.7
Norwich 10,980 6,915 -4,065 -37.0
Barnsley 3,934 2,463 -1,471 -37.4
South West Durham 803 498 -305 -38.0
Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley 3,294 2,042 -1,252 -38.0
Chester 2,940 1,805 -1,135 -38.6
Rugby 864 528 -336 -38.9
Frenchay 5,855 3,506 -2,349 -40.1
South Tees 10,319 6,149 -4,170 -40.4
Aylesbury Vale1 6,450 3,813 -2,637 -40.9
North Manchester 4,726 2,753 -1,973 -41.7
South Sefton 6,332 3,657 -2,675 -42.2
East Yorkshire 1,924 1,108 -816 -42.4
Tameside and Glossop 2,866 1,639 -1,227 -42.8
Dewsbury 1,181 661 -520 -44.0
Durham 1,489 820 -669 -44.9
Grimsby 2,355 1,245 -1,110 -47.1
Macclesfield 2.302 1,159 -1,143 -49.7
Newham 2,222 1,117 -1,105 -49.7
North West Durham 1,325 664 -661 -49.9
The Royal Marsden Hospital 331 164 -167 -50.5
Scunthorpe 4,609 2,030 -2,579 -56.0
North Tees 1,958 810 -1,148 -58.6
1The waiting list for Milton Keynes was formerly held by Aylesbury Vale Health Authority but was taken over by Milton Keynes Health Authority in 1984 following the development of Milton Keynes General Hospital. The above table shows a comparable reduction in the Aylesbury Vale figures.